For the past year, Malawi’s department of forestry has been cooperating with the army in a desperate bid to stem the illegal logging that is depleting the country’s forests at a rate of 2.8% per year. Surging demand for charcoal in Malawi’s cities is the prime driver of deforestation here: around 54% of urban women now use this “black gold” for cooking, according to the government.

Bangladesh has the second worst air pollution in the world, according to the 2012 Environmental Performance Index. One of the biggest contributors to the unclean air is the brick-making industry. Most fields use coal or wood to burn the bricks, both of which are very bad for the environment. Jhalakati, Bangladesh. January 2013.

In zingwangwa, the electricity is unreliable so many people cook on charcoal. Cutting trees fro charcoal results in deforestation.
Zingwangwa is a low to middle income township of Blantyre, the biggest commercial city of Malawi.

Kelebe Adamu with her blue head scarf (C) is checking out good deals at the local market where charcoal is sold by locals from the countryside in the leper slum in Northern Addis Ababa July 21 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Charcoal is in the slum the only way to heat up during the winter months of July and August.